Generally, this invention relates to a unique construction of a watering nipple for use in supplying water to poultry, other fowl, or small animals. More specifically, the invention relates to a means for supplying poultry with easily accessible drinking water in a manner that will encourage the poultry to drink, and that will reduce waste of water, along with the attendant sanitary problems.
Watering nipples have been used widely for a number of years. The structure of watering nipples has been disclosed, for example, in the following patents:
______________________________________ Kofford 2,457,159 12/28/48 Beckley 2,486,729 11/01/49 Kofford 2,541,369 02/13/51 Eagles, et al. 3,322,101 05/30/67 Godshalk 3,418,977 12/31/68 Godshalk, et al. 3,716,030 02/13/73 ______________________________________
The nipples of these patents disclose means for animals to water themselves. Specifically, those patents show structures that deliver water to animals when an animal actuates a pin in the nipple. However, in those structures, an enlargement at the end of the pin is located within a valve body, thereby significantly limiting the ability of the nipple to retain water for the animal.
The patent of Frederiksen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,424, is a good example of a nipple structure able to retain only a very small amount of water. Also, this structure is adapted to an animal licking the nipple to drink, which is not easily possible for some animals, especially birds. The patents of Futterer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,531, and Novey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,221, disclose nipple structures having a water passageway through the pin, thereby requiring an animal to grasp the pin in its mouth, and, simultaneously, to pull on the pin in order to drink. None of these structures are able to retain a relatively large amount of drinking water in a position at which the water is readily available to the animal for drinking. Furthermore, none of these structures presents an appearance to the animals which can encourage them to drink.
Therefore, it is desired to have a watering nipple having an increased surface area over the surface areas of nipples of the prior art so as to retain a larger volume of water, by the actions of natural surface tension and the adhesive properties of water, in the shape of the retaining piece, and in a position easily accessible to animals for drinking, thereby increasing water availability to the animals. In this manner, waste of water, and the accompanying sanitary problems would be reduced. Also, it is desired to have a watering nipple having a highly reflective enlarged body so that, when combined with the reflectivity of the water retained about the pin and the body, the nipple presents an image to the animal that will encourage it to drink.